The Chicago Cubs have a lot of talent to push for a National League Central title.
Doing so won’t be easy even with the St. Louis Cardinals retooling the roster and the wildcards of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds. However, one player could have a strong season to push the team over the finish line.
Pete Crow-Armstrong became a regular in the lineup for the Cubs last season as he found a home in center field. Entering his age-23 season, he has an opportunity to help his team win its division.
ESPN’s David Schoenfield, in an effort to find the next player who could produce a stat such as Ronald Acuña Jr.’s 40 home runs and 70 stolen bases, ran 25 simulations on “Out of the Park Baseball” (subscription required). One of his findings will certainly surprise Cubs fans.
“Crow-Armstrong compares in a lot of ways to Jarren Duran, who had a remarkable 2024 with 8.7 WAR for the Boston Red Sox,” wrote Schoenfield. “Both are tooled-up players who can beat you with their speed, defense and bat. Duran had 2.2 WAR in 2023 in 362 plate appearances before his monster 2024 season; Crow-Armstrong had 2.3 WAR in 410 plate appearances in 2024.”
Crow-Armstrong is already known for his defense around the league. He hit .237 in 372 at-bats last season and looks to improve upon it. If he can do so, the Cubs could run away with the NL Central.
“The Cubs ranked seventh in the NL in runs in 2024, but it’s easy to envision a much better offense in 2025 with Kyle Tucker, improvement from Crow-Armstrong and a positive contribution from rookie third baseman Matt Shaw,” wrote Schoenfield. “While Tucker should be one of the best players in the NL, Crow-Armstrong and Shaw are obviously bigger unknowns. But if Crow-Armstrong — one of my most intriguing players of 2025 — delivers a 7-WAR season, the Cubs will be hard to beat in the NL Central.”
Crow-Armstrong certainly has some big shoes to fill for the Cubs, but they’re relying on him to deliver this season. He was hitless in seven at-bats during the Tokyo Series, but there’s a lot of baseball left to be played for him and the Cubs.
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